If you took a poll and asked people what they hate the most about other drivers, many would mention tailgating. Following a car too closely causes stress for people and aggravates any driver who is a victim of it. From a cop’s perspective, it’s a major safety hazard. When someone stops suddenly with another driver right behind them, accidents usually happen.


Next: Using your smartphone is begging for a ticket.

4. Texting or otherwise using a smartphone

A graffiti image of a skull holding a cell phone is painted on an underpass along the Pasadena Freeway. David McNew/Getty Images




People are glued to smartphones more than ever, and unfortunately, this behavior continues while they drive. One Santa Monica traffic cop told Edmunds that people texting and otherwise using smartphones cause accidents every day there. As a result, cops are always on the lookout for people staring down at their lap, and they’ll pull over anyone caught using a phone.




Next: Tossing anything out your window makes cops turn on the red and blue lights.

3. Littering

It’s amazing that people are still littering. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images




You might say littering is a double-edged sword. On the one side, you have the general offense of throwing garbage onto a public road rather than placing it inside a receptacle like a normal person. The other side is even worse: Littering creates hazards on the road that cause accidents. Cops will be quick to turn on the lights and pull you over if you toss your trash out the window.


Next: This type of driving suggests you’re drunk or otherwise incapacitated.

2. Swerving

At best, swerving will attract police attention. At worst? A bad crash. JEAN-CHRISTOPHE MAGNENET/AFP/Getty Images




How do you spot a drunk driver? According to lawyers writing for the Ohio Bar Association, cops look for various activities on the road. Among them are motorists moving back and forth between lanes and swerving to the left of the yellow lines. People with high levels of alcohol in their system drive this way, and cops act swiftly to stop them from doing harm.